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- Year Of Graduation: 2023
- College/University: Johnson & Wales University
- Major: Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship with a minor in Baking and Pastry Arts
What do you do for a living? Can you share what a typical day at work looks like? Do you enjoy what you do?
I work in influencer marketing. I work remotely, so day-to-day I look through and respond to emails, update spreadsheets, and that kind of thing. I have daily meetings that I need to attend, too. I don’t say much, but I attend.
I don’t really enjoy it, to be honest, so I’m kind of pursuing a passion project right now! I’m starting a small business. It’s called Emmy Cakes, and I’m going to be at a farmers market in Bushwick in Brooklyn this summer. I’m going to be selling dairy-free treats.
Why did you choose your undergraduate major? Do you feel your time spent in college was valuable? Why or why not?
I think I’m kind of just following a passion, you know, following a dream of having my own bakery. Having people love what I make. That’s what brings me happiness. The interesting about working in the food industry is that you don’t need to go to college. You can really just work your way up in the industry and gain real-life experience. But I really wanted a community. I wanted to learn. I wanted a normal college experience. I wanted more time before stepping into my real career. So, I don’t regret my college experience. I ended up joining a sorority. That ended up being a really good way for me to meet some initial friends. I ended up kind of drifting away from that towards the end of college, but it was a good way to meet friends and get my name out there, and meet people.
I’m really thankful for having the ability to go to college. Not everyone gets to go, and it’s a blessing. Overall really enjoyed my experience, and I made some really great long-lasting friends.
Can you tell me about your experience finding a job after graduation? Are you happy with where your journey has led you thus far?
It was really, really hard. Hundreds of applications were sent out. I was applying for jobs everywhere I was. If I were on the train going home, if I was in class, if I was just during sorority meetings, just all the time. Every day, I was like, “My god, I have no qualifications. Who’s going to hire me? I don’t deserve a job. They shouldn’t hire me.” That might just be some self-doubt issues as well.
I ended up getting this job because my dad used to work with my boss, and he messaged him on LinkedIn and was like, “Hey, my daughter applied for this position,” you know, something like that. Networking is the only way you can get a job these days, for the most part, or it makes it a lot easier.
I think if you just apply to jobs on LinkedIn, you’re way more likely to never hear back. That’s my experience, especially because I’m interested in kind of niche creative fields. I ultimately want to do food media. I think the role I’m in now is a decent gateway to get there, and I think my project is going to help me get there as well. I need to meet people in that field, though, and kind of get my name out there more.
I did an internship the summer after my sophomore year as well. I was a bread baker at a bakery in Nantucket. The hours were crazy. My shift would start at 3:00 a.m. I would wake up at 2:30 and then zoom across the island to get to my internship. We were very understaffed, and it was a really hot summer, and there was no AC.
It really made me realize the food industry isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s also very expensive. Overhead costs are very, very high. There’s also insurance, and if you work in a place with food, there’s going to be like mice or unwanted pests, so you have to invest in a lot of general upkeep, and it’s definitely more of an expensive venture than I realized. I think in a way it made me more passionate, too. I’m a very stubborn person, and I kind of like to prove that I’m right. So, I think in a way it was sort of something that I challenged myself to do, to show I could handle it.
If I asked you three years ago, what goals would you hope to have achieved in life or your career?
Mental health has always been super important to me. I struggle a lot with anxiety. So, I think would have wanted to be in a place where I knew I could handle things by myself, and I could kind of feel free from the weight on my shoulders of general anxiety about everything.
I think I’ve succeeded in a way. I think I’ve learned methods and tools to manage it, and I’m more motivated than I have been in the past. I think I overcame a lot of obstacles, and I’m really proud of where I am now mentally.
I go to a lot of therapy. I think therapy should be talked about more. Everyone has something they can work on. I also take medication for general anxiety and do acupuncture. I also practice mindfulness and eat healthy. There are a lot of things that go into maintaining your mental health, more than people realize. It’s kind of just about choosing yourself as much as you can. I don’t always have to accommodate everyone else. I need to balance prioritizing myself.
How important is it to have a purpose-driven life? Why or why not? Do you think you’re on a path to do that? If not, what needs to change?
It’s the most important. Purpose, fulfillment, happiness. That’s it for me, even if I’m not doing something that other people would deem purposeful. Like barista jobs, that could be something that would make me happy, but other people wouldn’t really describe that as purposeful. It doesn’t make a huge income, but I’d rather do something that I enjoy and that brings fulfillment and happiness to my life, compared to sitting at my desk and dreading my work. By doing this passion project of mine, I think that really brings happiness to my day.
What’s your biggest struggle right now? What led to it? How are you moving forward?
Maybe independence. I like to rely on people a lot. I like to have validation from my team members at work or from people at home. I don’t know. People would say I’m pretty independent, but I want to feel more independent. I want to feel confident in doing a work task rather than second-guessing everything and being like, “Is this good?” I want to do the work, and I want to feel confident about it.
I’d also say personally, I’d like more financial stability. I am lucky enough that my parents support me at this part of my life, but I would like to feel more financially independent. My job doesn’t really pay a lot right now, and I’ve kind of invested a lot of money into this bakery project. I’m a big spender in general, too.
What interests/hobbies bring you the most happiness?
I like spending time with my friends and my family. I like listening to music. I’m getting into Ethel Cain. She’s really good. I’m a big Swifty, love Taylor Swift. I have a cat. She brings me so much joy. I guess that’s not a hobby, but playing with her is a hobby. I like going to the gym and being athletic. I want to play tennis more. I used to play when I was little, and I think if I stuck with it, I actually could have been really good.
What do you want to spend more time working on? What is stopping you?
Baking! And my job is stopping me, unfortunately.
If we traveled three years into the future of your life, what do you want to achieve? What would you hope has changed?
I don’t really think that far, I’m so type B! I hope I’m happy. I hope I’m doing something I love. I don’t want to put pressure on the baking thing because I could decide tomorrow that I hate it. I tend to do that. As long as I’m happy and as long as I’m surrounded by people that I love, then I think I’m in a good place. Hopefully, I’m more financially independent. I hope the political state of the world is a little bit better, too, but that’s not my doing.
What’s the biggest lesson or piece of advice you wish you had known earlier?
Nothing’s that deep. You can mess up, you can fail. People are going to do wrong. It’s all part of life. You’ll always learn. You’ll move forward. Nothing’s that deep!
Connect With Emma:
- LinkedIn: @Emmaraesimon
- Instagram: @emma.Simon
- Baking Instagram: @nycemmycakes
- Website: Emmycakes.co (it’s not finalized but almost ready!)
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